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emblem?” Thomas asked, immediately regretting wasting breath on the question.
    “That was a Captain’s Seal,” Chancellor Valerium replied, “ only to be surrendered if something terrible has happened. As you are carrying and the Captain is not, it is proof of your claims.”
    Thomas considered telling her that the Captain had also been about to murder him, but he felt it wasn’t necessary. The man had done the right thing in the end.
    “You were very brave to bring this news to us. What is your name?”
    “I’m… Thomas, ma’am,” he replied with a credible attempt at a smile. “I’m from the Kimpchik farm.
    “So you’re Thomas Kimpchik, then?” she asked.
    “No ma’am. Thomas Finn. I just work at the farm. Mighty nice people there, even little Ms. Anna.”
    It wasn’t until he started talking about them that he realized how badly he missed them. He wrung his hands together, surprised when they didn’t hurt.
    “How do you feel?” Chancellor Valerium asked, stroking his hair.
    “Better now, ma’am, thank you kindly. But I should be getting on my way. A friend of mine has gone to warn the elves, and I need to check on her.”
    “The elves?” the Chancellor repeated, “you also warned the elves?”
    “Well, yes ma’am. I figure these brigands aren’t only our problem. It’d be better everyone knows, so no one else has to die.”
    “These brigands,” she asked, “ what did they look like?”
    “Don’t rightly know,” he replied, “they were dressed in black and had black swords. No banners, no markings. Nothing like that.”
    “How did you escape?” she said as her hand rested on his thigh. He didn’t move a muscle.
    “Some of the guards were in the village, and they tried to fight them off. Gave us some time to escape. Gave their lives for me…”
    He trailed off as the thought took hold, and a whirlwind of emotion poured through him. True, the guards were going to mercilessly kill him, but at the end they had showed why they were guards in the first place. Thomas lifted a hand and ran it through his hair, feeling it crinkle under his touch.
    Thomas leaned forward, burying his head in his hands. So much destruction… so much death. Thomas couldn’t handle it. There was just so much reckless hate, so much undeserved malice. People, innocent people, had died today. People that were just trying to live.
    He felt a burning growing in his stomach, a fire that reached his eyes and gave him new life.
    “I must be going, ma’am,” Thomas said, standing up. She joined him, her hand on his shoulder.
    “You need to rest,” she said, pushing his shoulder to get him to sit back down, but he didn’t budge.
    “No ma’am,” he replied, “I need to find out who did this. I won’t get any peace until I know.”
    “We’ll have an inquiry, we’ll find out…” she started to say, but Thomas shook his head.
    “I understand, ma’am, and I know y’all will do your best. But there’s something I can do to help, and I’ve gotta do it.”
    “I… I understand,” she replied, “go look for your answers. But be careful. Whoever these men are, they are not to be crossed.”
    “I’ll keep that in mind, ma’am,” he replied as he headed for the door. He felt stronger now, somehow, either from the Chancellor’s remedy or his new purpose. Either way, he was ready for the trip.
    He opened the doors and headed for Lucille. The horse looked bored, staring at him with a vacant expression. She was probably daydreaming. He was about to mount her when he realized he would be better off if she were properly equipped. That meant he would to find a saddle from somewhere in town.
    “Well, come on now. We have work to do.”
    Lucille followed along as he walked the path back to the Town Square. It was still bustling with activity, and this time no one seemed to notice the outsider amongst them. What he wouldn’t give for a bath and a change of clothes.
    He and Lucille passed many shops, but none